How to Use Medication Effectively

The medication given to prevent and treat asthma is usually inhaled, because it gets directly to the lungs, where it is needed. Depending on the child's age, there are several different devices through which the medicine can be inhaled:

• Through an inhaler. An inhaler is a device in which the medication is contained in a small pressurized canister that releases a pre-measured or "metered" dose. This is called a metered-dose inhaler or an MDI - sometimes also called "the puffer."

• Through an inhaler with a built-in spacer. A spacer is a small container attached to the inhaler. The spacer acts as a reservoir. The medication goes from the inhaler into the spacer, where it turns into a fine mist. The child then breathes the medication in from the spacer.

  Studies suggest that spacers greatly improve the effectiveness of the medication. They are recommended for younger children who are unable to use an aerosol inhaler. But some experts recommend that all children who use inhalers should use spacers as well.

• Through a nebulizer. A nebulizer is a small air compressor that turns medication into a fine mist that the child breathes in over a period of about 10 minutes. Nebulizers are used for children who are too young to use the inhalers correctly. Sometimes they are used by older children during severe attacks, when they cannot coordinate their breathing with an inhaler. The medication is delivered either through a mask or through a mouthpiece. For children over the age of 3 or 4, the mouthpiece is considered better, because more medicine can get into the lungs. It is not wasted on the child's face.